1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to building entrance protectors for telecommunication lines. More particularly, the present invention relates to the surge protection panel contained within the building entrance protector and how different components interconnect to the surge protection panel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Building entrance protector (BEP) is the name used in the art of telephone equipment to describe the junction box where telephone lines from outside plant wiring are joined to customer premises equipment. In the most common application, the BEP is the place where the telephone lines from a telephone pole, for example, enter a building and are joined to the telephone system within that building. Within the BEP there is an input wire termination device that receives the telephone lines contained within the outside plant wiring. Also contained within the BEP is an output wire termination device that receives the telephone lines required for the customer premises equipment. Located in between the input wire termination device and the output wire termination device are fusible links. The fusible links are typically 26 gauge copper wire, which is thinner than the gauge of either the outside plant wiring or the customer premises equipment. The surge protector panel is a panel designed to receive surge protector modules. The surge protector modules eliminate power spikes that pass into the BEP that are capable of harming equipment on the consumer side of the BEP.
In addition to the surge protector modules, fusible links are also present within the BEP. The fusible links are typically 26 gauge copper wire, which is thinner than the gauge of either the outside plant wiring or the customer premises equipment.
The purpose of the fusible links is to prevent power surges from passing through the BEP that can damage equipment located within the building or melt any wire on the customer side of the BEP. Since telephone lines are typically strung on the same poles as power lines, a break in a power line that subsequently contacts a telephone line, can result in a large surge of power passing through the telephone lines into a building. Similarly, lightning strikes can result large surges of power pass in through telephone lines into a building. The purpose of the BEP is to ensure that any such power surge is stopped at the point of the BEP and is prevented from traveling into the building where it can cause damage to equipment and possibly a fire.
Referring to FIG. 1, a typical prior art BEP 10 is shown. From FIG. 1, it can be seen that as the outside plant wiring 12 passes into the BEP 10, the outside plant wiring 12 passes into a sealed, fire-resistant splice chamber 14. Within the splice chamber 14, some of the telephone wires contained within the outside plant wiring 16 are joined to fusible links 16, via an input wire termination device 18. Each set of the fusible links 16 leads to a different surge protector port 20 on a surge protector panel 22. Removable surge protector modules 25 are received into the surge protector panel 22. The different surge protector ports 20 are coupled to an output wire termination device 24. The customer premises equipment connects to the output wire termination device 24 within the BEP 10.
The fusible links 16 can connect to the outside plant wiring 12 and the surge protector panel 22 in a number of different ways. Commonly, an input wire termination device 18 such as a terminal array connector 28 is used to engage the fusible links. In the shown embodiment, a model S 66 M connector manufactured by Siemens Company is illustrated by way of example.
Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the fusible links 16 are connected to the terminal leads 26 on the bottom of the terminal array connector 28 and the outside plant wiring 12 is connected to the terminal leads 30 on the top of the terminal array connector 28. The fusible links 16 extend through a narrow hole 32 in the wall of the splice chamber 14 and connect to terminals 34 on the bottom of the surge protector panel 22. Similarly, the output wire termination device 24 is also commonly hard wired to the surge protector panel 22. As such, the cross-connection between the input wire termination device 18 and the output wire termination device 24 is dependent upon where the outside plant wires 12 (FIG. 1) are connected to the input wire termination device 18.
Since the surge protector panel 22 is wired to both the input wire termination device 18 and the output wire termination device 24, it is not cost effective to replace the surge protector panel should it ever need repairs or rewiring. Consequently, the entire BEP 10 is often replaced if the surge protector panel 22 or its related wiring is defective.
A need therefore exists for a BEP where the surge protector panel can be more readily removed for repairs or rewiring if needed. A need also exists for a BEP where changes in cross wiring can be more easily facilitated.